Scots are 'thick' to hate Thatcher

Architect said:
Whilst there is no doubt, I think, that she did a lot of good things to deal with a very bloated public sector and inefficiencies in manufacturing, as well as curbing the excessive power of the unions, I worry about what was effectively the de-industrialisation of our countries and the long-term impact which she had.
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That's a bit of mythology - the public sector grew during Thatcher (in real terms and if I recall there was only one year in which it fell).
 
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Architect said:
Whilst there is no doubt, I think, that she did a lot of good things to deal with a very bloated public sector and inefficiencies in manufacturing, as well as curbing the excessive power of the unions, I worry about what was effectively the de-industrialisation of our countries and the long-term impact which she had.
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I've studied quite a few manufacturing and ops management textbooks in my time but I don't remember seeing anything about a good way of removing inefficiencies being just to get rid of the whole thing...
 
Last of the Fraggles said:
I've studied quite a few manufacturing and ops management textbooks in my time but I don't remember seeing anything about a good way of removing inefficiencies being just to get rid of the whole thing...
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No disagreement there;I find it hard to believe that (say) steelmaking couldn't have been improved by massive investment. But that wasn't what I meant about removing inefficiences, rather I was talking about the clear out of the nationalised industries.
 
Architect said:
No disagreement there;I find it hard to believe that (say) steelmaking couldn't have been improved by massive investment. But that wasn't what I meant about removing inefficiences, rather I was talking about the clear out of the nationalised industries.
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Yet Thatcher poured millions and millions into British Leyland... As was always the case with Thatcher her actions never matched her rhetoric.
 
Architect said:
No disagreement there;I find it hard to believe that (say) steelmaking couldn't have been improved by massive investment. But that wasn't what I meant about removing inefficiences, rather I was talking about the clear out of the nationalised industries.
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Then surely we should be praising the geniuses on the boards of BT, BA, British Gas etc etc for turning around companies that the public sector couldn't make work?*

Maggies involvement in that was no more than getting rid of things that didn't make money at knockdown prices. She didn't improve the efficiencies of those businesses or do much to benefit the country. The people who benefited were the management and shareholders of the companies.

If I sell my garden to someone for 5 grand and they build a block of flats on it and sell them for a million - am I worthy of praise?

* having experienced all 3 of the companies this comment is firmly tongue in cheek.

If she had managed to make these things work efficiently under public control then I definitely would have been impressed.
 
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